Why does Uncharted 2 remain at the top of retrospective lists, often beating out its sequels (Uncharted 3 and 4)?
While Uncharted 4 is technically superior and narratively more mature, Uncharted 2 is often viewed as the "perfect" action game. It lacked the bloat of later entries. It didn't overstay its welcome. Every set piece—the collapsing building in Nepal, the convoy attack in the Himalayas, the final boss fight in Shambhala—felt earned and necessary.
The game set the template for the "Sony Cinematic Third-Person Action Game"—a template followed by The Last of Us, God of War (2018), and Spider-Man. NPEA00364 is the patient zero for modern AAA game design.
| Trophy | Missable? | How to get | |--------|-----------|-------------| | Steel Fist Expert | Yes | Kill 10 enemies in a row with one punch after softening with a single bullet (any difficulty). Best in Ch. 4 or Ch. 5. | | Sneaky | Yes | Get 30 stealth kills (one playthrough). Restart checkpoint if seen. | | Hangman | Yes | Kill 20 enemies while hanging from a ledge. Ch. 14 is great for this. | | Headshot Expert | Yes | 10 consecutive headshots. Use easy difficulty + slow motion (after beating game). | | 100 Headshots | No | Cumulative across playthroughs. | | Treasure Hunter (all 101 treasures) | Yes | Must collect in one save slot (Chapter select fine). No chapter-specific tracking in-game. | uncharted 2 among thieves europe npea00364 top
In the sprawling library of the PlayStation 3, few titles shine as brightly as Naughty Dog’s 2009 masterpiece, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. But for a niche community—consisting of trophy hunters, region-free collectors, and backup-loading enthusiasts—the game is often discussed not by its title alone, but by an alphanumeric code: NPEA00364. Specifically, the variant marked (Europe) Top holds a unique place in the PS3’s final physical media era.
Playing NPEA00364 in, say, German is a transformative experience. Naughty Dog worked with localisation teams across Europe to redub Nathan Drake, Elena Fisher, and Victor “Goddamn” Sullivan. Highlights include:
For language learners, NPEA00364 is a gold mine. You can set audio to English with Spanish subtitles, or go full immersion with Italian audio. No other version (outside the JP-exclusive) offers such breadth. Why does Uncharted 2 remain at the top
For trophy hunters, NPEA00364 is part of a separate trophy list from the North American (BCUS98124) and Japanese (BCJS30058) versions. Completing the game on this European “Top” disc earns you a second or third platinum trophy if you also own other regional copies. The “Top” reprint uses the exact same list as the original black-label European release—no new trophies, but no loss either.
One of the most immediately recognizable features of NPEA00364 is its physical packaging. Unlike the uniform American cover (Nathan Drake clinging to a ruined train), European copies often sported a reversible cover or a sleeve featuring a subdued, earthy color palette—Drake holding the resin Cintamani Stone, with a backdrop of Borneo’s jungle.
But the real story is on the back cover. Where the US version lists English only, the European back cover is a compact translation grid: In the sprawling library of the PlayStation 3,
Inside the case, the manual (remember those?) was often a 30-page booklet printed in five languages side-by-side, with small flags indicating sections. For collectors, finding a pristine copy with the manual still intact is rarer than a Sasquatch sighting, as many were tossed or damaged.
Warning: PS3 servers for Uncharted 2 were shut down in 2019. You cannot get online trophies anymore unless you already had them.
Affected trophies:
→ Platinum is now impossible on original PS3 version.